Bryce took a step away from Eva and folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve done fine without you.”
“Hello? Guys, I can protect myself,” I said, walking toward the door.
The two men stood glaring at each other, neither of them saying anything.
Kristie snorted. “Okay, everyone, time to leave. The testosterone in this room is going to either make me go nuts or grow a pair; frankly I don’t want to do either.”
I walked out the door and started toward the location of our SUV. Sara and Kristie caught up with me quickly.
“Men, you can’t kill ‘em… unless they try and eat your brains,” said Kristie with a wry grin.
I stopped walking and turned to Sara and Kristie. “I just wanted to say thanks to both of you. I know each of you lost your husbands, and yet you’ve still found the strength to help me try to find my mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
We were still hugging each other when Eva, Bryce, and Austin caught up.
“You boys work it out?” asked Kristie, pulling away.
Bryce shrugged and Austin smiled. “Nothing to work out, darlin’. I’m coming with whether Billy likes it or not.”
“It’s Bryce,” he muttered, walking ahead of him.
“Southern boys,” said Kristie as we started walking. “I once had me a cowboy. Oh, the things he could do with that rope…”
25
There were several dead zombies lying around as we neared the parked SUV. Three of the soldiers were repairing the glass on the door where the zombies had broken through.
“You guys leaving?” asked one of them. “Through this mob?”
“Yes,” replied Bryce.
“Well, they are getting pretty damn restless out there,” said the soldier. “Be careful.”
We got into the SUV and the soldiers reluctantly opened the garage door. Kristie was in the driver’s seat again so that Bryce would have his hands free to shoot, if needed. Bryce sat next to her with his gun ready.
“Damn, those zombies stink,” muttered Austin, sitting close to me.
“Vicks works wonders,” I said, handing him my jar.
He nodded in approval and rubbed some under his nose.
“Look! Sweet Jesus, they’re getting in,” said Eva as two zombies barreled through the garage door before it was closed all the way. The soldiers shot them in the head and they dropped.
Bryce opened his window and shot two more that tried sneaking in.
“You have a gun, cowboy?” Kristie asked Austin.
“Lost it a couple days ago. I found a couple of grenades, though,” he said, holding them up in the air.
“Careful driving,” mumbled Bryce.
Zombies were definitely getting more ferocious as we drove through the parking lot. The smell of blood was drawing more of them toward the hospital and now there were hundreds attacking each other.
“How in the hell do we get out of here?” growled Kristie.
“I guess now is as good of time as any,” said Austin as he opened up his window and leaned out. “Get ready.”
He launched the grenade at a crowd of zombies blocking our path. Less than ten seconds later, body parts were falling from the sky and landing on the SUV.
“Drive!” yelled Bryce.
Kristie hit the gas and we drove over the remaining mutilated zombies, all of us bouncing around in the SUV.
Eva closed her eyes. “Lord help us,” she said softly.
Another group of zombies were coming straight for us and Austin threw another one, clearing the path yet again with a loud explosion.
“Yes! Well, thank God Austin decided to come with us. Otherwise we’d of had a hell of a time getting through these bastards,” said Kristie.
Bryce looked out the window and mumbled something expletive.
When we finally made it out of the zombie-infested parking lot, I wanted to scream for joy. But I knew we weren’t out of danger yet. Zombies were still wandering the streets, looking more aggravated and alert than ever.
“What’s going on with these guys?” asked Kristie. “They seem like they’re in some kind of frenzy or something.”
“They are,” said Austin. “They need blood to sustain, and if they don’t get it, they actually become more violent and ferocious. Once they start to lose more of their body mass, though, they’ll eventually slow down.
“Great,” I sighed.
“What makes you an expert on these things?” asked Bryce.
Austin shrugged. “Bits and pieces of things I’d heard from other soldiers. They’ve been studying their behaviors.”
“Do they know for sure that you’ll turn into one if you’re bitten?” asked Eva.
He nodded. “They believe you will. Some of the people who’ve been bitten are showing signs of very erratic behavior, similar to the zombies. Some have just… died,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he glanced at me.
I looked out the window and sighed heavily. It sounded pretty hopeless for my sister. I was thankful that my mom was with her, but I could only imagine the agony she was going through in Atlanta. I only wished I could get out there somehow, so she wouldn’t have to face it alone.
When we’d finally made it back to my house, everything seemed surreal. There weren’t any zombies wandering in the neighborhood or even the yard, just a shiny black GMC Sierra parked in our driveway.
“Were you expecting company?” asked Bryce, getting out.
I shook my head and ran up the steps. As I put my hand on the doorknob, it burst open and I gasped in surprise.
“Daddy!” I screamed, jumping into his arms.
“Oh, thank God,” he replied, holding me tightly.
“Where’ve you been?” I cried.
He put me down and grimaced. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say the traffic was bad coming home.”
I smiled and wiped the tears from my face.
“Did you… did you find anything out about your mom or sister?” he asked sadly.
We went inside and I told him everything I knew while he sat in silence. When I was finished, he didn’t say a word, he just stood up and went downstairs.
“He needs some time,” said Kristie softly.
I nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to my room to be alone for a while.”
Bryce squeezed my hand as I stood up. “Let me know if you need me, Wild.”
On my way to my bedroom I stopped in the kitchen for some water. Eva was sitting alone at the counter, staring at her clasped hands. She looked up. “Oh, it’s you. Tell me, what… what do we do now?” she asked, her face a mess of tears and make-up.
I was about to respond when my dad stepped into the kitchen. He was dressed in military camouflage and carrying two very impressive rifles that I’d never seen before. The determined look in his eyes gave me the chills.
“What next?” he asked, setting the guns down. “We go find them, all of them.”
“But is it safe?” I breathed.
He looked at me. “Cassie, we’re a family and I won’t be apart from any of you, ever again. We’re going to Atlanta as soon as possible.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Oh yes,” he said, a half-crazed look in his eyes. He lifted one of the guns back up and smiled humorlessly. “Let the games begin…”
***
End of Book One
Book Two
1
Like most children growing up, I was afraid of the dark. Or, rather, what was lurking inside of it. Every night, I’d insist on having a nightlight in my room and beg my mother to keep my bedroom door open. Most nights, she’d be tucking me into bed, reassuring me that there weren’t any boogiemen hiding under it, nor were there any monsters watching from outside of my window. When that wasn’t enough to satisfy me, she’d sigh wearily, look me straight in the eye, and say, “Wild One, your daddy will shoot anyone or anything that tries to harm you, so please, just go back to sleep.”
That state
ment made perfect sense to me; my daddy had lots of guns and he certainly knew how to use them. So, I’d finally relax and fall asleep, content with the fact that he wouldn’t let anything harm me or my sister. Little did I know that my mother’s promise would someday come back to haunt us; when we’d discover that there were indeed monsters and that daddy was only human. He couldn’t protect his daughters every second of the day. This rang especially true when the zombies arrived in Wolf Creek and all hell broke loose.
***
It had been only four days since our lives were completely shattered. An untested flu vaccine had basically killed most of the population, leaving in its wake, horrors that fed upon the rest of us who were struggling to survive. Now, many of my loved ones were missing, including my mother and younger sister, Allie. My father and I were in the process of preparing to search for them; apparently my sister had been attacked by a zombie and mom had taken her to the only place she could think of for help – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Miraculously, some scientists were still alive, racing to fix the mayhem they’d helped to create. Now, ironically, they were our only hope.
“Cassie!” hollered my father from the kitchen, which was just down the hall from my bedroom.
I opened my eyes. “Yeah, hold on. I’m coming!”
I was sprawled out in my bed, lying down with Goldie, a young Golden Retriever puppy I’d helped to rescue a couple of days before. She’d worn herself out by getting into my closet and tearing up some of my old stuffed animals. Not that I cared much, she gave me something I needed right now; a reason to smile. And watching her play made it happen every time.
I crawled out of bed and glanced back at her. “Are you coming with, girl?”
She stretched out her front paws, then jumped off the bed and followed me to the kitchen.
“Hey,” I said.
My dad looked up and smiled. “Hi, sweetheart.” He was sitting at the kitchen table cleaning some of his many guns.
“Hi, Wild,” said Bryce, sitting across from my dad, apparently helping. He’s my karate instructor, as well as the guy I’m hopelessly in lust with.
“So, I have a plan,” said my dad. There were dark shadows under his brown eyes and wisps of silvery-gray hair near his temples that seemed to have sprouted overnight. “All three of us are going back to my dealership to pick up a suitable vehicle for the trip to Atlanta. Jesus,” he rubbed a hand over his forehead, “it’s a good thing they installed those backup generators after the floods last year, or we’d never have access to the fuel pumps. Anyway, I’m thinking a Suburban or an Escalade would be a good choice.”
“Oh? Why can’t we just save time and take the truck you brought home yesterday? That thing could plow through zombies like nothing.”
My dad had borrowed a Sierra from the Chevrolet dealership he works for. He’d been M.I.A. during the initial zombie attacks, and I’d almost given up on him until he surprised us all by making it home yesterday.
He smiled at my last comment. “Plow through zombies, huh? Well that may be so, but it’s not big enough to hold everyone. There are, what, six of us going? And you can’t forget the two dogs. We certainly can’t leave them behind.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Six of us?”
“Bobby and I are coming with,” replied Bryce, “and don’t forget your personal bodyguard, Austin.”
Bryce was coming with? On account of my dad, I tried not to squeal in pleasure. He wasn’t aware of my feelings for Bryce, and knowing him, he wouldn’t be too fond of the idea. My dad was overprotective of both of his daughters and didn’t think any boy was good enough for them.
Bryce was also keeping his distance. He’d already expressed mixed feelings about starting a relationship with someone who was three years younger – and one of his karate students. His mentors had been strictly against involving one’s self with a student, and Bryce had even received a tongue-lashing about flirting with me from the Karate Master a few days before. It hadn’t stopped either of us in weak moments of passion, however; we’d shared a few hot and steamy kisses; ones that had left my knees weak and my heart doing flip flops.
“Oh, well, that’s nice,” I said, trying not to sound too excited.
Just then, Eva entered the kitchen, a girl I’d known from high school. We weren’t exactly friends, and as far as I was concerned, she was a selfish and arrogant nitwit who’d recently stolen my best friend, Paige’s boyfriend. Now, her newest conquest seemed to be Bryce, who was so naïve about the whole thing. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy that we had to drag her along for the ride. Her mother had also been injured by a zombie, so for now, Eva was our problem until we could drop her ass off in Atlanta.
“When did Kristie and the others leave?” she asked, yawning. I was happy to see that she was wearing a long T-shirt and shorts, and not one of her “rub it in your face” expensive designer outfits or short, skimpy nighties that left little to the imagination.
“They left a few hours ago. Sara, Megan, and Hannah tagged along,” I answered, pulling my long, brown hair into a ponytail.
Kristie had taken her daughters, Paige and Kylie, along with three other survivors, to the safety of her mother’s cabin in Wisconsin. Apparently, they were under the assumption that the zombies preferred the luxuries of city life a little more than the deep woods. Unlike our home, the cabin not only had a large generator, but also a good supply of food that could keep them comfortable for a few weeks. We were going to try and meet up with the group later, and Kristie had given my dad directions.
Eva’s face lit up. “Great. Now I don’t have to put up with Paige’s snide comments. Just because her boyfriend dumped her doesn’t mean she has to take it out on me.”
I wanted to punch her. “Like you didn’t have a hand in that,” I muttered under my breath.
She apparently heard me, because she tried to look innocent but ended up failing miserably. “Well, maybe she doesn’t know how to treat a man. I’m sure Bryce would even agree with me when I say that a guy wants to feel appreciated and not like their girlfriend is always trying to show them up.”
I glared at her, even though I was trying my best to remain calm. I knew exactly what she was referring to this time: Bryce and myself.
“Well, if the guy has enough self-confidence, then he wouldn’t feel threatened by his girlfriend’s independent nature,” I snapped, feeling my eye twitch.
“How ‘bout those Vikings last season?” interrupted my dad. “Bryce, are you a football fan?”
“Definitely, but I’ve always been more of a Packers fan myself,” he replied, loading my dad’s new Berretta. “The Vikings just can’t seem to get their stuff together.”
I cringed. My dad was a huge Vikings fan, through and through. I knew that housing a “Packer Backer” would be a giant thorn in his side.
My dad scowled. “Son, saying anything negative about the Vikings in this house is bad for your health. I’ll let it slide this time because you’re holding that loaded gun.”
“Oh, dad,” I laughed, nervously, “you’re such a kidder.”
“Did someone say Vikings?” drawled Austin as he swaggered into the kitchen. “I may be from Texas, but I have to say, I’ve always enjoyed watching those guys throw the ball around.”
Austin was the ruggedly handsome military soldier my mother had saved the night the zombies started waking up all over the world. He’d been shot in the shoulder by some hysterical woman, thinking he was trying to attack her. My mother had risked her life by driving him to the hospital, and now he felt he owed something to her. This included being my personal bodyguard. Needless to say, Bryce wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea.
Bryce rolled his eyes. “When do you find time to watch the Vikings, Tex? Between sweeping up hay and saving damsels in distress?”
Austin smiled smugly. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”
“Well, I, for one, think that it’s wonderful that you are helping u
s, Austin,” gushed Eva. “I’m sure Cassie’s mom will be especially delighted to find out you have such a soft spot for her daughter.”
My face turned beet-red. Now I really wanted to hurt her. The truth was, Austin and I hardly knew each other, but she was acting like we had something special going on between us.
“Well,” beamed Austin, “not only is she beautiful, but she has a lot of fire in her belly. This little filly isn’t afraid of anything,” he said, staring at me. “If you ask me, it’s quite an honorable trait.”
Everyone turned toward me, their eyes filled with amusement. I just shrugged.
Bryce turned back to Austin and snorted. “Are you referring to Cassie or a horse?”
“Listen up, kids, let’s get serious, here,” interrupted my dad. I could tell his patience was wearing thin. “There are only a few hours of daylight left, so we’d better get a move-on. Austin, you stay here and watch over Eva and the dogs. If everything goes the way I’ve planned, we should be back in less than two hours with a new vehicle and a full tank of gas.”
“I feel more comfortable coming along,” replied Austin. “I promised your wife I’d stay close to Cassie at all times. I’d hate to have anything happen to her. It’s just too dangerous out there.”
My dad turned to Austin, and if looks could kill, he’d be deader than anything I’d shot in the last few days. He smiled coldly. “I think I can take care of my own daughter, Tex,” he replied in a strained voice.
“For the last time, I can take care of myself,” I stated. “I think I’ve proven that in the last few days.”
Bryce nodded. “She did a great job, too. Tex could probably take some lessons from her.”
Austin shook his head. “I didn’t mean any insult, sir. I’m just a man of my word and I promised Kris I’d protect her daughter in any way that I could.”
“That’s very honorable, but I think you’d better stay with Eva and Bobby. They need protection, too,” replied my dad.
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 15
